Call holder



Nov. 10, 1959 s. M. SERON 2,911,694

cm. HOLDER Filed Feb. 5. 1958 INVENTOR SUREN M. SERON TTO E S UnitedStates. Patent r 2,911,694 r CALL HOLDER Suren M. Seron, Joliet, Ill.'Application February 5, 195s, Serial No. 713,348 3 Claims. or. 24-13This invention relates to musical instruments and in particular to calldevices intended to be carried by a person to be available forinstantuse. Y

- In hunting, as for ducks, the hunter conventionally utilizes a duckcall comprising an instrument which, when blown properly, producesasound attractive to ducks. Thus, when the hunter sights a groupofducks, he utilizes the call to attract the ducks to his vicinity. 'Itis desirable to dispose the call on the person of the hunter so that itis instantly available for use. One method of disposing the call forsuch instant use is to support it on the end of a lanyard worn aroundthe hunters neck. To secure the call to the lanyard, such callsconventionally are provided with an annular groove extending about themidportion thereof so that a cord or a portion of the lanyard may betied or otherwise secured therearound.

The principal feature of the instant invention is the provision of meansfor connecting an instrument provided with an external annular groove toa lanyard, said means having a new and improved coaction with theinstrument.

Another feature is the provision of such a connecting means comprising aresilient tube having a loop portion secured annularly around theinstrument in the groove, portions of the tube extending outwardly fromthe ends of the loop portion, and a ring extending annularly around theoutwardly extending portions to maintain the ends of the loop portion injuxtaposed relationship thereby to retain the loop portion in thegroove.

A further feature is that the uncompressed transverse cross section ofthe tube loop portion is greater in diam eter than the width of thegroove in the instrument.

Still another feature is that the interior of the ring is smaller thanthe exterior of the outwardly extending portions so that the ring issecurely retained in position on the outwardly extending portionsnotwithstanding a stretching of the loop portion in moving it over theinstrument during installation and removal.

Still another feature is that the ring adjusts the size of the loopportion so that it is maintained smaller than the diameter of the groovein the instrument.

A yet further feature is that the tube is formed of a latex rubberhaving a high coefiicient of friction so that it has improved retainingcoaction with the walls of the groove and has improved retaining actionwith the adjusting ring.

Still another feature is that the tube is sealed to entrap air withinthe loop portion to provide an improved gripping coaction with the wallsof the groove.

Other features and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a call instrument, secured by aconnecting means embodying the invention, to a lanyard arranged aroundthe persons neck, the person being shown fragmentarily;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the call instrument with the connecting meansinstalled thereon; and

s 2,911,694 Patented Nov. 10, 1959 of the inthe duck call is retaineddirectly in front of the user for' instant availability." An example ofa lanyard well-suited for" such use isthat disclosed in my co-p endingapplication Serial No. 622,613, filed November 16 1956.

As best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, call instrument 10 is provided with anannular groove '14 disposed around a midportion 10a thereof. Connectingmeans 12 comprises a resilient tube having a loop portion 15 extendingannularly around the instrument in groove 14 and a pair of elongatedportions 16 extending outwardly one each from opposite ends17 of loopportion 15. A keeper ring 18 extends annularly around the outwardlyextending portions :16 adjacent ends 17 of theloop portion and serves tomaintain ends. 17 jtixtaposed thereby to retain loop portion 15 in thegroove. Keeper ring 18 is elongated and the long inside dimension of thering is substantially smaller than the corresponding long outsidedimension of the pair of outwardly extending portions 16 so that thering tends to constrict the tube portions. Thus, the resulting grippingaction of the ring on portions 16 acts to retain the ring in position onthe tube notwithstanding a stretching of the loop portion 15 around theinstrument 10 during installation or removal of the loop portionrelative to the instrument. The resilient nature of the tube, however,permits the ring to be moved over the tube when desired so that thediameter of loop portion 15 may be readily adjusted to be smaller thanthe diameter of the groove 14 thereby assuring that the loop portionwill be-securely retained within the groove when installed therein.

At the outer end of outwardly extending portions 16 is provided asecuring device 19, herein comprising a snap fastener adapted forattachment to a suitable complementary snap fastener device 20 providedon lanyard 11. Snap fastener 19 also serves to close sealingly the outerends of portions 16 thereby entrapping a body of air within tubeportions 15 and 16.

To provide an improved retaining coaction between the connecting meansand the portion of the call instrument defining groove 14, it ispreferred that the cross sectional diameter of the tube defining loopportion 15 be greater than the width of the groove 14. However, by

entrapping air within the tube, as described above relative to fastener19, loop portion 15 may be readily constricted transversely of thegroove, as best seen in Fig. 3. Thus, notwithstanding the greater widthof the tube, it will readily accommodate itself to the groove and seatitself firmly in the bottom thereof. By adjusting ring 18 so that thediameter of the loop defined by loop portion 15 is smaller than thediameter of the groove 14, loop portion 15 automatically draws itselffirmly into the groove.

It is preferred that the resilient material from which the tube isformed have a relatively high coefiicient of friction. A material foundto have such desirable combined resiliency and frictionalcharacteristics is latex rubber. 'In addition to providing a new andimproved gripping coaction with the groove walls, such a latex rubbertube provides improved retention of the ring 18. Thus, 'call instrument10 is retained by connecting means 12, not only substantially positivelyagainst inadvertent disassociation therefrom, but also against rotationabout its longitudinal axis within loop portion 15. Thus, where theiristrument is provided with adjustable means, such as means 10b forcontrolling the sound produced by the instrument, connecting means 12maintains the instrument with the adjustable means retained outwardly sothat such adjustment may be readily eifeeted.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments ofmy invention, itis to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes,-the'refore,in the construction and" arrangement maybe made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. For use with a duck call having an e xternal annular groove aroundthe mid-portion thereof and intended to be connected to a lanyard wornaround the neck of'a user, a connecting means comprising a rubber tubehaving a loop portion arranged to extend annularlyin said groove and asecond portion extending outwardly from the ends of the loop portion,the uncompressed cross section diameter of the tube loop portion beinggreater than the width of the groove'in the duck call, a ring extendingannularly around said second portion of the loop adjacent the loopportion to maintain the ends ofthe loop portion juxtaposedand retain theloop portion in the groove, and means on the second portion forconnecting the same to the lanyard.

2. For use with an instrument having an external an- 25 nular groove, aconnecting means comprising a resilient tube havingahigh coefiicient offriction, said tube having a loop portion arranged to extend annularlyin said grooveand a pair of elongated tubular portions extendingoutwardly one each from opposite ends of the loop portion, theuncompresed cross section diameter of the tube loop portion beinggreater than the width of the groove in the instrument and a ringextending annularly around said outwardly extending portions adjacentthe loop portion to maintainthe ends of the loop portion juxtaposed andretain the loop portion in the groove.

' 3. The device of claim 2 wherein the tube is formed of latex rubber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS 268,407Hughes Dec. 5, 1882 733,018 De Vilbliss July 7, 1903 1,879,991 PrattSept. 27, 1932 2,035,976 Mix Mar. 31', 1936 2,572,889 Straykower Oct.30, "1951 2,608,796 Bicocchi Sept. 2, 1952 2,819,650 Serori Ian. 14,1958 FOREIGN PATENTS

